Slovenia Disputes Italian Proposal for Offshore Gas Terminal

A major dispute is brewing between Rome and Ljubljana over Italy's recent decision to approve plans for an offshore gas terminal near its border with Slovenia.

Slovenian politicians are considering resorting to demanding that the European Commission act against Italy, which is ignoring the European Union directives if it proceeds with the proposed gas terminal.

The consternation arises from the fact that two years ago the Italian government approved a gas land terminal on its border with Slovenia.

An editorial in Slovenia’s Primorske novice newspaper commented under the headline, "Temporarily 3:0 for Italy," "Italy has only let it be known again that it will listen to no one -- be it Brussels or Slovenia. It is therefore time for Slovenia to go on the counter-offensive.

Slovenia has received three goals from Italy and has nothing to lose." The editorial concluded that given enough persistent political pressure by Slovenia, the situation could still be resolved in Slovenia's favor.

Slovenia’s environmental Alpe Adria Green NGO has also come out strongly against Italy's issuing an environment permit for the construction of an off-shore gas terminal in the Gulf of Trieste and a Trieste-Grado-Villesse gas pipeline, arguing that both would present a threat to the environment and the area’s population.